The Teen Titans move through the stone archway into Aurawood. Robin steps forward, his boots crunching on fallen leaves. He pulls out a small, foldable map. Pawniard walks beside him, its blades reflecting dappled sunlight.
Beast Boy darts ahead, transforming into a green Zigzagoon.
*Wiggle-waggle!*
He waddles on all fours, attempting to mimic the wild Pokémon. Rockruff barks, chasing after the green blur. Starfire takes a deep, appreciative breath, the scent of pine and damp earth filling her senses.
"The air here is so fresh, it tingles with joy!" Togepi coos from her arms, mirroring her delight.
Cyborg lifts his cybernetic arm. A soft hum emanates from his sensors. His eye glows blue as he initiates a full environmental scan. Whismur floats beside him, occasionally letting out a soft, almost inaudible whisper. Raven walks with a quiet grace, Misdreavus hovering near her shoulder. They observe the bustling scene with an almost detached amusement. A faint, ethereal giggle escapes Misdreavus as Beast Boy trips over a root.
"Alright, team," Robin states, consulting his map. "Our priority is recon. We establish a perimeter, gather data on the local fauna, and avoid direct confrontation unless absolutely necessary."
Pawniard stands at attention, its bladed arms rigid. Efficiency is paramount.
Beast Boy slumps against a tree, stifling a yawn. He nudges Rockruff, who is sniffing a patch of glowing moss.
Suddenly, a blur of purple fur swings down from a tree. An Aipom, with its prehensile tail, snatches Cyborg's scanner right from his hand.
Whoa, quick hands!
Another Aipom, mid-swing, accidentally squirts a Magikarp in a nearby puddle. The fish flops wildly, spraying water everywhere.
Whismur, startled by the commotion, lets out a tiny, high-pitched squeak.
Squeak!
The sound amplifies instantly.
WHIIIRRRR!
It grows into a deafening cry, echoing through the forest.
"Retrieval Protocol Alpha," Robin commanded, his voice cutting through the ringing in his ears.
This is exactly why I prefer Gotham.
"Cyborg, sonic pulse, target the Aipom. Beast Boy, secure the perimeter."
Cyborg's arm cannon hummed.
Thrum.
He aimed at the Aipom still clinging to his stolen scanner.
"Booyah! Coming right up!"
FWOOSH!
A wave of focused sound blasted toward the Aipom.
Beast Boy, mid-transformation, shifted into a bright green monkey.
"Ooh-ooh-aah-aah! Let Beast Boy help!"
He added his own ear-splitting screeches to the sonic assault, causing the Aipom to drop the scanner and scatter in a purple blur.
This is not helping. Robin suppressed a groan.
Starfire, meanwhile, hovered over the thrashing Magikarp.
"Little fish friend, do not be distressed!"
She extended a hand, glowing faintly. Togepi, clutched tightly to her chest, trembled slightly.
Chirp.
Her well-meaning attempts at soothing the Magikarp, however, only drew unwanted attention. A chorus of harsh CAW-CAW sounds filled the air. A flock of angry Spearow, their beaks sharp and eyes red, dive-bombed Starfire. They saw her as a threat to their fishing grounds.
Swoop!
One Spearow clipped her shoulder. Another pecked at Togepi, who let out a startled cry.
Robin snarls. This mission was supposed to be simple reconnaissance. Now he is chasing a purple-furred menace through the undergrowth.
Incompetence. Every time.
He leaps, katana glinting. He intends to corner the Aipom, to use a precise maneuver.
Swish.
The Aipom, however, is faster. It swings around a branch, kicking a small, yellow creature from its perch.
Pichu.
The Pichu lands on Robin's utility belt.
BZZZT!
A small electrical shock runs through his gear. His map flickers, then goes blank.
Ineffective.
Pawniard growls, moving to shield Robin, its bladed arms already shifting. It sees the small spark, the momentary disorientation. It does not tolerate distractions.
Raven focuses. This whole situation is spiraling, thanks to Beast Boy's typical overenthusiasm. She extends her hand, dark energy coalescing into a shimmering barrier. She intends to contain the agitated Pokémon, to calm the chaos.
Azarath… Metrion…
Misdreavus, however, is too quick. It zips through the barrier, a mischievous giggle escaping its form. It means to play, to lighten the mood.
Giggle!
Its spectral energy, still charged from Raven's spell, picks up on a nearby cluster of Wurmple. The barrier, now infused with Misdreavus's playful energy, draws the Wurmple toward it. They stick, creating a wriggling, purple mass.
Disgusting. Raven pulls her hand back, the barrier dissolving.
Beast Boy, as a green flying squirrel, swoops through the air. He intends to intercept the aggressive Spearow, to divert its attention.
WHOOSH!
He misjudges the wind current. He hits a tree trunk with a dull thud.
BONK!
The Spearow, previously focused on Starfire, now sees an easier target. It screeches, turning its sharp beak toward the dazed squirrel.
The Titans are a mess. Robin's map is dead, Pawniard is twitching, Raven is covered in sticky Wurmple, and Beast Boy is a furry, grounded target. Starfire, however, manages to soothe the Magikarp, sending it flopping back into its puddle.
They regroup, disheveled and exasperated. The path ahead is now completely blocked. A mountain of fur, a massive, sleeping Snorlax, snores loudly, shaking the ground with each breath. It means to rest.
Impossible. Robin scans the giant creature. There is no way around.
Rockruff sniffs a colossal foot, its nose twitching. It lets out a small, questioning whine.
Woof?
Beast Boy, now a hulking green bear, tries to push. He grunts, straining every muscle.
RROOOOAARRR!
The Snorlax barely stirs. It shifts its weight. Beast Boy is pinned under a furry, immovable wall.
Starfire tries gentle nudges, then firm pushes. Raven focuses, attempting to weave a dream of an empty path into its mind. Cyborg sends a low-frequency sonic pulse, hoping to rouse it. Nothing works. The Snorlax just sleeps.
Robin stares at the immovable Snorlax. This is an unacceptable delay.
His meticulously planned route. His calculated objectives. All lost to a sleeping Pokémon. He slams a fist against a tree trunk.
THWACK!
Ineffective.
He looks at his team. Starfire, trying to soothe a still-flopping Magikarp. Beast Boy, now a squashed green bear, groaning under Snorlax's foot. Cyborg, picking at a Wurmple that somehow clung to his chrome arm. Raven, looking at her hand as if it had betrayed her.
This is what happens when you deviate from protocol.
Pawniard, ever vigilant, senses the shift in Robin's stance. Its bladed fists clench. It interprets Robin's anger as a command to ready for action, for strategy.
Robin's gaze sweeps over the scene. His map is useless. His analysis of the terrain, redundant. The raw power of Snorlax, unchallenged by their current methods.
Rigid adherence will fail here.
He looks at the Wurmple clinging to Cyborg. At the Magikarp in the puddle. At the sheer, unbridled chaos of it all.
This place operates on different rules.
The team exchanges glances. Starfire sighs, a soft whoosh of displaced air. Beast Boy pushes weakly against Snorlax's bulk, then gives up, lying flat. Cyborg's chrome face shows a rare look of confusion. Raven's lips purse, a silent acknowledgment of their predicament.
They are stuck.
They are covered in leaves, mud, and Wurmple.
They cannot move forward.
A shared understanding passes between them. A silent, unspoken agreement.
Our usual methods are insufficient.
Aurawood demands something else. Something unpredictable.
***
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Advance chapters in P@T0n Najicablitz.